1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composite machine-server system that is constructed by connecting composite machines and a server to each other via a network, a composite machine and a server for constructing such a composite machine-server system, and a program recording medium on which a program for causing a computer having a communication function to operate as a server is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various kinds of information has come to be exchanged between computers via a network such as an LAN (local area network), a WAN (wide area network), or the Internet. On the other hand, the digitization of copiers has advanced and hence it has become easy to add a fax function or a printer function to a copier. As a result, apparatuses called composite machines that have copier, fax, and printer functions are now on the market.
Composite machines of another type are also known to which an LAN board is added to allow the printer function of the above type of composite machines to be used by a computer that is connected to an LAN (that is, a network printer function is added).
In a system in which a plurality of composite machines each having a network printer function are connected to an LAN, copying and fax transmission of a document can be performed by using each composite machine as well as a document produced by a computer that is connected to the LAN can be printed by an arbitrary composite machine.
However, conventional composite machines are configured without consideration of a mode of use in which data is exchanged between composite machines. Therefore, in an LAN system to which a plurality of conventional composite machines are connected, a process of transferring scan data generated by a certain composite machine to another composite machine cannot be executed easily. That is, although having various functions, a conventional composite machine can be used merely as a printer by a computer that is connected the network.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a composite machine-server system which has functions equivalent to or surpassing the functions of systems that are constructed by using conventional composite machines, which can handle electronic documents more efficiently, and which can be realized at a low cost. Another object of the invention is to provide a composite machine and a server which can be used for constructing such a composite machine-server system.
To attain the above objects, according to the present invention, a composite machine-server system is constructed by connecting a plurality of composite machines and a server to a network. Each of the composite machines has a second-kind process function of executing a second-kind process without cooperating with the server when requested to execute the second-kind process, as well as a first-kind process function of sending, when requested to execute a first-kind process, an electronic document necessary for execution of the first-kind process to the server and requesting the server to execute the first-kind process on the electronic document. The server has a function of executing first-kind processes whose execution is requested by the composite machines.
That is, according to the invention, in constructing a composite machine capable of executing several kinds of processes, the processes are classified into processes (second-kind processes; for instance, copying) that are desired to be executed independently by a composite machine and processes (first-kind processes; for instance, fax transmission and document management) that need not always be executed by a composite machine and are preferred to be executed together by another apparatus (server). For a first-kind process, an electronic document (image data or the like) necessary for its execution is sent to the server. The server are provided with functions for actually executing the first-kind processes whose execution is requested by a plurality of composite machines. And a system (composite machine-server system) is constructed by connecting the server and the composite machines to a network. In this composite machine-server system, each composite machine can execute the first-kind processes even if it does not have hardware necessary for only the first-kind processes (circuits for fax, a storage device for document management, etc.). Therefore, by using the composite machine-server system of the invention, the same document environment as constructed by using conventional composite machines can be realized at a lower cost. Further, since electronic documents relating to first-kind processes that are executed by the composite machines are gathered by the server, electronic documents can be managed more efficiently.
In constructing the composite machine-server system that can attain the above objects, the following composite machine according to the invention can be used.
The invention provides a composite machine that is used in a state that it is connected to a network, comprising (a) scanner means for generating image data of a document; (b) first-kind process executing means for executing first-kind processes each of which uses the image data generated by the scanner means and requires an operation in cooperation with the server; (c) second-kind process executing means for executing second-kind processes each of which uses the image data generated by the scanner means and does not require an operation in cooperation with the server; (d) designating means for designating a first-kind process to be executed by the first-kind process executing means or a second-kind process to be executed by the second-kind process executing means; (e) execution control means for causing the scanner means to generate the image data when a first-kind process or a second-kind process is designated by using the designating means, and for causing the first-kind process executing means or the second-kind process executing means to execute the designated first-kind or second-kind process by using the image data; (f) status judging means for judging whether a status is such that an operation in cooperation with the server is possible; and (g) designation control means for controlling the designating means so that it cannot designate any of the first-kind processes when the status judging means has judged that the status is such that an operation in cooperation with the server is not possible.
As described above, in the composite machine of the invention, the operation state is automatically changed to a state that an execution instruction for an unexecutable process cannot be issued. Therefore, in the composite machine-server system that is constructed by using the composite machines of the invention, a user""s execution instruction can cause execution of a process in a reliable manner. In other words, a composite machine-server system can be obtained that is free of an event that after a user instructed to a composite machine to execute a certain process, a message to the effect that the process cannot be executed because no communication is performed with the server is shown to the user.
In implementing the composite machine of the invention, it is desirable to employ, as the status judging means, means that transmits a connection establishment request to the server when the composite machine is started and a first predetermined time after judging that the status was such that an operation in cooperation with the server was not possible, judges that the status is such that an operation in cooperation with the server is possible when receiving from the server an assignment completion notification indicating that a cooperative operation has become possible, and judges that the status is such that an operation in cooperation with the server is not possible when no assignment completion notification is received or when a second predetermined time has elapsed after transmitting a latest request to the server.
This is because an event that requests that exceed the processing ability of the server (information transmission capability of the network) are simultaneously input to the server from composite machines can be prevented if a composite machine-server system is constructed by using the composite machines each employing the above status judging means and a server according to the invention which comprises (1) a predetermined number of request processing means each having a function of processing a request from the composite machines that is received via a network; (2) assigning means for assigning, when receiving a connection establishment request from one of the composite machines via the network, the composite machine that has issued the connection establishment request to one of the predetermined number of request processing means to which no composite machine is assigned if such a request processing means exists, and for sending the composite machine, via the network, an assignment completion notification indicating that an cooperative operation has become possible; and (3) assignment canceling means for canceling assignment of a composite machine to a request processing means that has not received any request from the assigned composite machine for a predetermined time. In other words, this composite machine-server system can be operated in such a manner that a first-kind process for which an execution instruction has been made by a user can be executed reliably at high speed. The server of the invention can be implemented as a dedicated apparatus or by installing, from a program recording medium, to a computer having a communication function (for instance, an LAN board), a program for causing the computer to operates as the server.
The composite machine of the invention may be implemented by employing, as the status judging means, means that recognizes, based on the assignment completion notification, part of the first-kind processes that the server can accommodate; and, as the designation control means, means that controls the designating means so that it cannot designate any of part of the first-kind processes excluding the processes that the status judging means has recognized to be accommodatable by the server, when the status judging means has judged that the status is such that an operation in cooperation with the server is possible. If the above-configured composite machine are used in combination with a server that employs assigning means that transmits an assignment completion notification including information relating to functions that can be executed by the server, a composite machine-server system can be constructed which can be operated in such a manner that the server is provided with only minimum functions at the time of its introduction and thereafter functions are added to the server when they become necessary.
The composite machine of the invention can be implemented by adding operation mode information storing means for storing operation mode information indicating whether the first-kind process executing means is used or not, and employing, as the status judging means, means that judges that the status is such that an operation in cooperation with the server is not possible without communicating with the server if the operation mode storing means stores operation mode information indicating that the first-kind process executing means is not used.
The composite machine of the invention may be implemented by employing, as the execution control means, means that causes the scanner means to generate the image data when a plurality of processes have been designated by using the designating means, and controls the first-kind process executing means or the second-kind process executing means so that it executes the designated processes by using the image data as common data. With this composite machine, a plurality of processes to be executed (for instance, copying and fax transmission, or copying and document registration) can be completed merely by setting a document in the scanner means and designating those processes. This contribute to reducing the manipulation load of an operator. Further, since the scanner means operates only once until completion of a plurality of processes, the total processing time can also be reduced.
A composite machine-server system may be constructed by composite machines each obtained by adding, to the composite machine of the invention, utilization states monitoring means for monitoring utilization states of the first-kind process executing means and the second-kind process executing means; utilization states storing means for storing utilization states information as a monitoring result of the utilization states monitoring means; and utilization states transmitting means for transmitting, to the server, the utilization states information stored in the utilization states storing means, and a server obtained by adding, to the server of the invention, utilization states information storing means for storing, on a composite machine basis, utilization states information that is sent from the composite machines; and utilization states information transmitting means for transmitting, when receiving a utilization states information sending request or according to a preset schedule, the utilization states information stored in the utilization states information storing means to an origination node of the utilization states information sending request. In this case, the server can manage the utilization states of the respective composite machines in a unified manner and the utilization states information stored in the server can be read out from a node connected to the network. Therefore, by using this composite machine-server system, the charging management and the management of expendable supplies can be performed easily.
Where the composite machine is implemented by using the utilization states information storing means, the utilization states information storing means can be nonvolatile storing means, and there can be added destruction detecting means for detecting destruction of the utilization states information stored in the utilization states information storing means; and utilization states information managing means for sending a request for requesting the server to transmit utilization states information relating to the self-composite machine when the destruction detecting means has detected destruction of the utilization states information, and for storing, in the utilization states information storing means, the utilization states information that has been received as a response to the request. A composite machine-server may be constructed by combining the above-configured composite machines with a server in which the utilization states information storing means is nonvolatile storing means, and there are added destruction detecting means for detecting destruction of the utilization states information stored in the utilization states information storing means; and utilization states information managing means for sending requests for requesting the respective composite machines to transmit utilization states information when the destruction detecting means has detected destruction of the utilization states information, and for storing, in the utilization states information storing means, the utilization states information that has been received as responses to the requests. In this case, since the same utilization states information is stored at two locations in the system, a composite machine-server system can be obtained which can be operated with an extremely low possibility that the utilization states information is lost.
The composite machine of the invention may be implemented by adding display means capable of displaying image data, and employing, as the execution control means, means that causes the display means to display the image data generated by the scanner means before causing the first-kind process executing means or the second-kind process executing means to execute the designated first-kind or second-kind process, and causes the first-kind process executing means or the second-kind process executing means to execute the designated first-kind or second-kind process by using the image data only when an instruction to continue the process has been made. With this composite machine, even if generation of image data fails for some reason, the failure can be recognized before actual execution of a process (printing on sheets in the self-apparatus or another apparatus or document registration). Therefore, useless consumption of sheets and time can be prevented.
The designating means, which is a component of the composite machine of the invention, can be a touch panel having a function of displaying an image and a function of outputting position information of touched portion, and the designation control means can be means that controls the designating means (touch panel) so that an image not including a symbol for selecting a process that should be rendered undesignatable is displayed.